The IQ scale and score ranges
IQ scores are set so the average is 100 and the standard deviation is 15. That makes it easy to see how common or rare any score is.
IQ score ranges
| IQ | Classification | Share of people |
|---|---|---|
| 145+ | Exceptionally Gifted | 0.2% |
| 130–144 | Very Superior (Gifted) | 2.3% |
| 120–129 | Superior | 7.2% |
| 110–119 | High Average | 16.6% |
| 90–109 | Average | 49.5% |
| 80–89 | Low Average | 15.6% |
| 70–79 | Below Average | 6.5% |
| < 70 | Well Below Average | 2.1% |
Labels differ slightly between tests; the ranges in the table are the ones IQ Atlas uses, close to those of the Wechsler scales.
The bell curve
IQ scores follow a normal distribution: about 68% of people score between 85 and 115, about 95% between 70 and 130, and only about 0.1% above 145.
How precise is a score?
No test is perfectly precise. A score is best read as a range of roughly ±5 points. That's why IQ Atlas reports a category and percentile alongside the number. For your exact percentile, use the IQ percentile calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What IQ is considered gifted?
130 and above is commonly used as the threshold for giftedness: about the top 2% of people.
What is the highest possible IQ score?
Most professional tests stop around 145–160 because there are too few people above that level to measure reliably.